Bob Melvin expects Jarrod Parker to bounce back after surgery

PHOENIX -- Jarrod Parker returned to the A's on Tuesday, the morning after learning he would need a second Tommy John-style ligament replacement surgery in his right elbow and forearm.

He'd had a little time to get his mind around the repeat surgery, which will take place next Tuesday in Pensacola, Fla., under Dr. James Andrews' care.

"I was upset,'' Parker said of his mindset coming out of the Monday meeting with Andrews. "It's not one of those things that you can go in prepared for. You think you are, but really, you can't prepare for that.''

Jesse Chavez wasn't prepared mentally to be a starting pitcher, but he is one now, thanks to injuries to Parker and A.J. Griffin (elbow/forearm). The veteran right-hander was as glum as anyone that Parker will miss the season, but he's ready to pick up the mantle.

"No one has told me anything about the rotation,'' Chavez said. "Mentally, it's different. I'm not out there airing out in the first inning.''

Chavez hadn't allowed a run in 12﻿2/3 innings this spring, but he gave up two solo homers Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox and left with two outs in the fifth when he got into a jam that Dan Otero was able to solve. The A's, who scored nine times in the first, won 16-6.

Parker sat with manager Bob Melvin on Tuesday morning, Melvin expressing optimism that Parker, who rebounded well from a 2009 Tommy John surgery, will come back as strong again. Statistically there's a small sample size, but there are suggestions that 90 percent of first Tommy John surgeries have positive outcomes, and about 60 percent of second surgeries do.

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"You read about the numbers about second surgeries, but it's different for Jarrod,'' Melvin said. "He's young (25), he keeps himself in great shape. I think he'll come back throwing well and have a nice long career.''

After the first surgery that cost him the entire 2010 season, Parker came back well enough that he came into the 2014 season as the presumptive favorite to be the opening day starting pitcher for the A's.

That was after Parker had felt forearm discomfort last September and October, discomfort that was so bad that if the A's had made the second round of the playoffs, Melvin said Parker probably would not have pitched.

Andrews checked Parker out, and the decision at the time was that the pitcher just needed rest. Parker said Tuesday, however, that Andrews admitted to him that he had been worried about Parker's arm stability even then.

"Andrews said he'd been a little concerned last fall,'' Parker said. The MRI at the time didn't look promising, but without the surgeon seeing and touching and testing the arm, he couldn't make an accurate diagnosis. Once he saw Parker, the concern apparently abated somewhat.

Parker will join the A's after the surgery and, much like reliever Fernando Rodriguez did last year after his Tommy John surgery, Parker will remain in the Bay Area to do his rehab work, and be with the team for home games.

"I love this game. I love this team,'' Parker said. "I'm going to be around the team.''

He said he has high expectations for Chavez. As do the rest of the A's after the 30-year-old threw 78 pitches Tuesday, his first official day in the rotation, although it's not quite official.

"I've told him where I expect him to be,'' Melvin said. "But he's not taking anything for granted, which is good.''

Scott Kazmir, who was skipped Monday because of triceps discomfort, checked out fine and told Melvin and pitching coach Curt Young that he wanted to pitch Tuesday. They said no.

"We'll skip him a start,'' Melvin said. "We'll have him throw a bullpen, then he'll get a start on Saturday.''

The Saturday start for Kazmir probably rules him out for starting the opener, because he'd either have to pitch on short rest or long rest to be ready March 31. That almost certainly means Sonny Gray gets the opening day start with Kazmir pitching Game 2.

Michael Taylor doubled, tripled and drove in three runs. His average is up to .313, and his trade value is going up. That's important to Oakland, because there doesn't seem to be room on the roster for him as a backup because he's not seen as a center fielder. The A's will lose him if they don't move him because he's out of options. "I feel good,'' Taylor said. "It's fun right now.''

Hiro Nakajima, a big name in the A's camp a year ago but currently in the club's minor league system, joined the club as a backup and had his first two Cactus League hits of the year and scored a run.

Asked by Melvin, Alberto Callaspo couldn't remember the last time he got three walks in a game, "which means he fits right in here,'' Melvin said.

Callaspo, who had just one walk in his first 12 games, hasn't walked three times in a big league game since July 16, 2011, when he was with the Angels, and he did it ... against the A's.

A's broadcaster Ken Korach will be signing his biography of Bill King, "Holy Toledo,'' from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. before Saturday's game in Peoria against the Mariners.